A very unusual and striking set of prints of the United States printed in Germany. In all, this series contains fifty views of the United States from New York to San Francisco, with the majority of the prints depicting the natural wonders of the American West. The Europeans were fascinated with the American West due to the differences in the physical topography, as well as enormous financial investments in land. Also, the western regions of the United States were becoming more accessible and many Europeans were curious about the American frontier. There is little information available on Rudolf Cronau (1855-1939) the artist of this series. Born in Germany, he is known to have traveled to the United States and North Africa. Cronau dedicated this series to Carl Schurz, a man who can be considered a "Renaissance Man". Schurz was a lawyer, a speech writer for Lincoln, a newspaper publisher, a general in the Civil War, a Senator, and a Cabinet member. One can assume that Cronau and Schurz were very good friends and that Schurz may possibly have been a guiding principal behind this series. Whatever the inspiration, these are unusual, first-hand images of the United States rarely seen. A very ambitious and rare set of views of the United States in the latter half of the nineteenth century.

"Residential Street in New York. View of Park Place near the Post Office and Tribune Building." $275

[Members of the New York Yacht Club 1905-6]. New York: Barclay Brothers, 1906. Photogravure. Print mounted to backing board but stable. Old mat burn in margins along with several scratches and scrapes in image. Else, good condition. Scarce.

This photogravure commemorates the NYYC membership in the year of 1905-6. J. Pierpont Morgan donated a tract of land to the club in 1898 where the current NYYC club house now stands on West 44th Street. This club house opened to the membership in 1901 and by 1905 the membership had swelled to over 2000 members. In the background is the first club house at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey.
In addition there are three yachts in the background, a steam yacht and two sailing yachts which represent the NYYC sailing prowess. Members who are obviously depicted are: J. Pierpont Morgan, Commodore Frederick G. Bourne, Vice Commodore Henry Walters, Rear Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, Commodore E.D. Morgan and many other prominent figures in New York business and society. $2,800

Reference Books Related to Prints and Maps of New York

Robert T. Augustyn and Paul E. Cohen. Manhattan in Maps. 1527-1995. New York, 1997. Cloth. This fascinating volume explores the history of the city of New York through mapmaking of all kinds, from 17th century sea-charts and plans to a 1990 satellite view of Manhattan island. Temporarily Out of Stock

Edward Bryant. Pennell's New York Etchings. 90 Prints by Joseph Pennell. New York, 1980. Paper. This volume provides full-page reproductions of each print, with an introductory essay on Pennell and informative notes on each image. Includes bibliography. $7.95

Gloria Deák. Picturing New York. The City from its Beginnings to the Present. New York, 2000. Cloth. A thematic history of the city from its European origins as "Angoulême" to its present status as a bustling international city. This large, handsome volume contains many wonderful illustrations, including antique maps, views, and photographs. TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK

David Tatham, ed. Prints and Printmakers of New York State, 1825-1940. Syracuse, 1986. Cloth. Essays from the 1981 conference. Scholarly and authoritative treatments of hitherto neglected aspects of the history of prints in New York State. $35.00